Another severe weather warning for snow and ice has been issued for the north-west of England.
Forecasters have put in place a yellow warning, which lasts until 10:00 GMT on Friday, just days after the first snow of the winter caused disruption.
Wintry showers expected overnight and on Friday morning could cause travel problems, the Met Office said.
Meanwhile, Electricity North West said its engineers were being put on standby this weekend because Storm Bert is set to bring very strong winds, heavy rain and wintry showers.
Storm Bert is the second named storm of winter.
The first – Storm Ashley – caused multiple power cuts in October.
The UK Health Security Agency has also issued an amber cold health alert for the whole of the North West, which is in place until 18:00 on Saturday.
It means there is an increased health risk to vulnerable people.
Even before Storm Bert arrives, however, the Met Office said wintry showers moving into the south of the region could result in up to two inches (5cm) of snow, mostly on higher ground.
A spokeswoman added: “Icy stretches are expected to form on untreated surfaces during Thursday evening and overnight into Friday morning as temperatures drop below freezing, especially following any showers.”
The areas forecast to be potentially affected on Friday are:
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Blackpool
- Cheshire East
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Greater Manchester
- Halton
- Lancashire
- Merseyside
- Warrington
On Monday night and Tuesday morning, snow affected public transport and roads across the North West.
